Even before the dust settled after last week’s defeat to Manly, the knives were out.
It was a bad loss, at home, in front of a big crowd.
Fans wanted somebody to blame.
Though I’d stayed away from expressing my opinion on social media, and hadn’t posted on the topic on TCT, I was as guilty as the next person.
I was looking for BA to wield the selection axe at centre. He didn’t and my frustrations grew.
Brad Arthur
Waqa Blake was in my sights. All those tries down Parra’s right side was his fault, right?
And our next match was against the Rabbitohs and their dynamic left edge. That horrid loss during the season proper last year was burnt into my memory.
But something held me back.
I’m not the type of supporter to go back over footage of a loss to analyse where things went wrong. That’s for the coaching staff and the players. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve seen all I need to see watching it live.
Then, as I was completing my editorial duties with Colmac’s stats post, reading missed tackle counts and Parra’s ample possession stats, my reactions during the game came flooding back. Over the next couple of days, as I reflected more on the loss, those recollections sharpened.
Very early in the contest, I was remarking to Forty about the static Eels defence line, and about the lack of physicality in the tackles.
Manly were marching through the middle with ease. They were bouncing out of “hits” or standing in tackles and offloading. If you operate a compressed defence as the Eels do, but miss your assignment, it exposes your wider defenders.
Here’s the telling stat. The Eels had 40 missed tackles and 26 ineffective. There’s plenty going wrong in the middle when you end up with those numbers.
Furthermore, without dwelling too long on the topic, the Eels failed to deliver on the other half of the game – the attack. Despite more than their share of possession and four clean line breaks, stupefying decisions with the ball in hand blunted virtually every try scoring opportunity.
A particular centre had very little to do with what went wrong there.
Waqa Blake
This is all a long-winded way of saying that last Sunday was a damned awful team performance. To single out one player would be to ignore the bigger picture of many more players needing to look into the mirror to reflect on their own efforts.
Even there, it’s hardly panic stations, with the team sitting with a 9/2 record. There will be losses in any season, and it’s how the team responds that tells a more important story.
That 9/2 record is also likely to see the Eels front row featuring in Origin. Consequently, had Marata Niukore been selected at centre this week, he definitely would not be selected there for the following week when players are on Origin duty.
It would make little to no sense to drop Waqa for one week, when the plan would an immediate recall. How would that assist with combinations?
And so to today?
The Rabbitohs attack will pose an almighty challenge for the Eels out wide – but only if the middle fail to win their battle.
If the Eels do what they do best, gain dominance through the forwards, then execute with patience and composure, then discussion about leaking tries out wide will be less likely to be a discussion point.
I’m now grateful that BA didn’t wield the axe to drop one player. Finding a scapegoat would have been a knee-jerk reaction and sent the wrong message to the rest of the team. The Eels were thrashed by Souths during the season last year because the middle missed their assignment and the team sat back on their heels in defence.
The path to victory in this match today required calmer heads.
Luckily we have them.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Waqa is the bloke who leaps high on the tryline, getting over his opponent to tap back a high Moses kick to provide a scoring opportunity for his team mates. I hate the way he is singled out by supporters as THE scapegoat in a loss. He must be mentally tough if he can let it flow of his back. When he was at Penrith, he was an attacking weapon who carved the Eels many times.. Give the bloke a go. .I think he can bring plenty of joy to the supporters before the year is out…..
Well said Pete. I have been critical of Waqa. I wanted the change. However, there are logical reasons why BA didn’t single him out and the performance of the team as a whole had plenty to do with it. I won’t tell people how they should support the team but it’s my opinion that we can help Waqa turn things around by being supportive of him rather than crucifying him.
Let’s hope that Waqa backs his coach like BA has done with him. I don’t think any fans would be upset if it was a rare off day, but the defence on that side has historically been worse when him and ferg are together, plus we have seen the improvement with Marata. Watch this space
I don’t disagree with history either Troy. However, I can back BA’s decision this week based on facts from the last match.
Sixties I understand your angle but I’m not thankful that BA didn’t single Waqa out.
There’s an issue around lack of accountability that lowers the standards for the team.
There’s an issue around having Marata playing excellent football, available after suspension and sitting on the bench behind Waqa – so selections are not based on form.
There’s an issue with consistent defensive mayhem around Waqa that carries over from 2020 that still hasn’t been addressed.
Anyway BA is in the hot seat and I hope the Eels win but I have confidence we will.
Your selection solutions are ???
DDay, I know I’m out on a limb here. I can’t defend Waqa and Fergo’s history of defensive blunders. But, there are circumstances at the moment with how the team played, through to likely yo-yo selections over coming weeks were we to make a change.
So you dont think that everything that unfolds in a game is a result of what platforms are laid upfront ?
What do you define as accountability? Calling the players out in the media? Cutting players after a bad game and bringing them back a week later (Madge, I’m looking at you…)? Or is accountability what goes on behind closed doors, the stuff we might not see. Fronting up to video sessions with your teammates to rewatch all your errors and discuss them as a group maybe? We have no idea what sort of accountability Arthur and the team have built behind closed doors. I’m glad that we don’t see what’s going on, because if it did it would mean players are talking behind the coach’s back, and talking about their teammates to the media. We have a good culture in this team, and I believe there would definitely be accountability. But I also believe there are opportunities to redeem yourself. Look at Lane. He was bagged by most on social media, and Arthur was criticised for not dropping him. Now that Ice Papa has become a viable better alternative, he drops Lane to the bench. We are a better team, balance wise, with Niukore on the bench and Blake starting. Yes, we need him to make tackles and defend better, but he needs the opportunity to try and implement what they’ve worked on in the offseason. Remember, it’s only his 3rd or 4th game this season and he might still be carrying a bit of his injury. I hate watching his bad reads and ineffective tackles as much as you do, but I trust that Arthur knows what he’s doing too.
No disrespect to to JA but it would be good to see Waqa play a couple of games outside Dylan Brown who brings a lot in defence.
Wise words Choppy.
Sixties, VG and reasoned blog. I am backing the team against the UG muttons, as our team does have pride and even in a loss its there and we have a coach who is prepared to stand by his players, both when a win is there and even the losses. One could see that BA was uptight in the post match Presser, but he put the right cards on the table in front of him.
OTOH, Benny walked out on his team after losing last week out in the bush, that for me showed disrespect and no trust in his players, to me it shows the master coach and his wandering appointments have finally shown him out. In saying that I in no way would sell him short and how he gets his players up today will be big for him as he heads back to QLD end of year.
I believe we can and will win the game, as I believe our players likely hurt more after last weeks match, that they were never going to win owing to the ghost of the Late Bob Fulton hung over & through the Manly team. This week they can get the ghost out of their system and concentrate on getting the 2 points.
eels by 6
Sometimes, you just get those matches. The accountability starts with ensuring we don’t get a second.
Well said sixties.
After listening to BA it was clear that he did not see fault in any one player either and your clear observation of what the side lacked as a team was simply getting away from how Parra play and what we need do to win. It is a difficult assignment to go out and dominate through the middle each week. We need to be strong mentally and physically.
I believe our coaching staff headed by BA and David Kidwell will have been almost salivating at the prospect of planning and pumping the boys up for this weeks encounter with no fear of us being ambushed. I wouldn’t be disappointed to see Marata start at centre for about 15-20min to show souffs there’s a bear lurking down that lane, then bring Waqa off the bench and have Sivo on a warning that stupidity will not be tolerated at all this week? Ah oh my dear, just woke out of a pleasant dream. Go Parra, by 20+
Very optimistic MC. I’ll take Parra by any margin!
Insightful article and well written. I still on balance would rather see some accountability with Waqa dropping a grade and making some clear improvements, but can see the other side of the story. Giving a youngster like Penisini a chance for 4-5 weeks through origin seems a reasonable idea, and keeping Niukore fresh for the middle is a sensible point.
Cheers Mick. Penisini will eventually get his shot.
Sixties, the forwards made 242 tackles and missed 20, the backs made 99 and missed 21. I reckon Marty Taupau against any pack gets the missed tackle count clicking over (as did Fonua Blake). I’ve been scratching my head all week about that game, because I certainly didn’t see our forwards dominated, Manly’s pack just stuck to its guns under Jake, DCE and Tom from the back while, we, as a team, made bad self inflicted errors and decisions for last 60 minutes of the game.Manly’s tries came from everywhere, the sort of pattern you see from sloppy play by your opponent as distinct from forwards grinding the opposition into to the turf.
It wasn’t that our forwards were dominated, but the lack of urgency between tackles to get into the right position for the next play. That’s what put our edges under pressure.
You may be right Pou, but I’m watching the South’s game and I just don’t know. It’s not Waqa tonight though.
Great post, sixties
Cheers Pou.
Waqa and Jake Arthur were both at fault
We cut Jake some slack he’s young and out of his depth.
Blake has had enough chances.
Brad Arthur continues to give him those chances and continues to show why he will never be a premiership winning coach
Somebody said something about accountability. When does it start ?
Finally some sense…thank you
Seriously how easy is it to number up in defence.This was under 6 stuff.It was like the rabbits were playing a third division side.Three times Johnston ran twenty metres and didnt even have a finger laid on him.Our compressed D hasnt changed in 3 years.It wouldnt matter if you had Cronin and Rogers playing under this structure.For christ sake something needs to change.